Mobile hospital set up at SunFest

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

File Photo

Kristian Golding

Creative Commons 2.0

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A mini hospital is set up at SunFest at the corner of Banyan and Flagler.

The State Medical Response Team set the hospital up to deal with medical calls related to the music festival this weekend. "It is essentially a critical care tent where we can take care of patients who are dehydrated or have perhaps chest pain, seizures, or that kind of thing," Dr. Richard Weisman with the State Emergency Response Team said.

West Palm Beach Fire Chief Carlos Carrera is happy about the mini hospital. He says last year they had over two hundred medical calls and ambulances from all over the county were backed up taking people with minor injuries to the hospital.

"A good many of those people won't need to be transported this year that were transported last year. They will be able to be treated and sent home," Chief Carlos Cabrera said.

The tent is full of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.

Organizers say they will not charge patients that can be treated and released.

"Before, they ended up going with a transport fee and with hospital fees. In this case they are going to come here, get treated, and if they are well enough they are going to go home," Cabrera said. People who have serious injuries will still be taken to the hospital.

The emergency response team says they use festivals like SunFest for training in case of a major disaster.